Some embodiments described herein relate generally to link aggregation group (LAG)-based multipath networks, and, in particular, to methods and apparatus for distributing traffic across a LAG in a network.
Some known LAG-based networks distribute traffic through a LAG of the network by flooding the traffic to each member node of the LAG to achieve load balancing. The traffic, however, is typically forwarded to the destination through only one port of a member node of the LAG, and dropped at each of the remaining member nodes (i.e., non-forwarding member nodes) of the LAG. Thus, network bandwidth is wasted in flooding the traffic to each member node of the LAG.
Accordingly, a need exists for methods and apparatus that can reduce bandwidth wastage and still achieve load balancing across links of a LAG in traffic distribution.